Various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures have been developed utilizing X-ray or other types of radiation. These procedures include utilizing X-rays for determining the presence of various conditions as well as techniques for treating malignancies.
However, the unnecessary and uncontrolled subjection of the human body, or portions thereof, to radiation can have many deleterious effects. The medical and dental professions have accordingly taken steps attempting to reduce, as far as possible, the subjection of patients to this harmful radiation, occurring either inadvertently or during intended treatment to various parts of the body, or resulting from stray, scattered and surplus rays.
It has been found that even very limited amounts of exposure to radiation, especially in children, occasionally causes damage to such glands as the pituitary and thyroid. In efforts to avoid such problems, techniques and apparatuses have been developed which attempt to absorb or shield various body areas of the patient from undesired exposure or from stray or scattered X-rays such as those which normally tend to scatter from the principal stream of X-rays. Preferably, the only X-rays allowed to contact human tissue are those necessary for the specific procedure. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,962,589, issued to Dlouhy; 3,304,523, issued to Medwedeff; 4,223,229, issued to Persico et al; and 4,286,170, issued to Moti are examples of different devices used to protect a patient during a radiation procedure.
The patent to Dlouhy describes a diagnostic chair which includes a radiation shield directly attached to the chair. The shield contains a block which is slid into position against the patient's neck. A thumb screw is loosened in order for the shield to be pivoted and lie flat against the neck area.
The patent to Persico et al illustrates an oral radiation protector for protecting teeth, gingiva, peridontal bones, salivary glands, and adjacent body areas against the effects of radiation therapy. The protector consists of an intraoral shield which is placed in the patient's mouth. The shield portion is generally curvilinear in shape and is attached to encompass the lower front portion of the head. However, neither of these references describes a device which protects the head during a cephalometric diagnostic procedure.